Armin Shimerman

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Armin Shimerman (born5 November1949; age 67) is the actor who was best known in the Star Trek universe for his portrayal of the FerengibartenderQuark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is one of only six actors to appear in three different live action Star Trek series (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager) as the same character. Prior to assuming the role of Quark, however, Shimerman earned the distinction of being among the first to ever portray a Ferengi in the Star Trek franchise when the race first appeared in the Next Generation episode "The Last Outpost". Shimerman went on to make two more appearances on TNG (including a second time as a Ferengi in the episode "Peak Performance") and to star on Deep Space Nine for its entire seven-year run (1993 – 1999). He also co-wrote the TreknovelThe 34th Rule.

Born to immigrant parents in Lakewood, New Jersey, Shimerman and his family moved to Los Angeles at the age of sixteen. There, his mother enrolled him into a drama group to help her son meet new people. After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Shimerman was one of eight people out of nine hundred applicants chosen to become an apprentice at the prestigious Old Globe Theater in San Diego, California. Shimerman participated in numerous regional theater productions before moving to New York and landing roles on the Broadway stage.

Shimerman's Broadway debut came when he played part of an ensemble and served as an understudy in the musical Threepenny Opera, which ran for 306 performances from 1 May, 1976 through 23 January, 1977. "Peak Performance" co-star Roy Brocksmith was also a part of that play's cast. Shimerman next performed in the play Saint Joan from December 1977 through February 1978 and played the role of Mr. Thorkelson in the musical I Remember Mama in 1979.

Shimerman ultimately moved back to Los Angeles, where he acquired guest spots on such television shows as Cagney & Lacey, Remington Steele, and The Facts of Life. From 1987 through 1989, he was a recurring player on the TV series Beauty and the Beast, which starred Star Trek Nemesis actor Ron Perlman and Tony Jay. He went on to make appearances on L.A. Law (starring Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake), Who's the Boss?, Alien Nation (starring Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint, and Michele Scarabelli), and Married... with Children. Shimerman also became a regular on Brooklyn Bridge during that show's first season (1991-92), playing Uncle Bernie.

More recently, Shimerman has been lending his voice to the characters of General Skarr and Hector's Stomach on the Cartoon Network series The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Evil Con Carne. In 2005, he appeared on the TV series Invasion, alongside other Star Trek actors such as his DS9 co-star Cirroc Lofton. He had a recurring role as Judge Brian Hooper on Boston Legal, starring William Shatner and DS9 co-star and friend Rene Auberjonois. DS9 guest star Henry Gibson also played a judge in Shimerman's first episode, "Can't We All Get a Lung?", which aired 19 September 2006. In Shimerman's third episode, Voyager star Ethan Phillips appeared as the father of the boy accused of killing Shimerman's wife. Ron Canada also guest-starred in the episode, also as a judge. In his fourth episode, Shimerman finally shared a scene with Rene Auberjonois.

In 2007, Shimerman also voiced various characters BioWare's Mass Effect, a game also featuring the voices of Marina Sirtis, Raphael Sbarge, and Dwight Schultz. Depending on player choices, Shimerman's primary character may also appear in the game's sequel, which also features Michael Dorn, Robin Sachs, and Keith Szarabajka. Shimerman also voiced the character of Andrew Ryan in the 2007 computer game Bioshock. The developers of the game refused to disclose who voiced this character before the game's release, only hinting that "we wouldn't believe it". Only after the game's release was it confirmed that Ryan was voiced by Shimerman. (Source: IGN.com) In gaming circles, this surprised many, for Ryan had a very low voice, very different than what Shimerman had shown in other mediums. (TTLG.com) Shimerman's frequent DS9 co-star, J.G. Hertzler, also voiced a character in the game, and both Shimerman and Hertzler reprised their roles for the 2010 sequel, BioShock 2.

Shimerman was on the set of DS9 during a large earthquake in Los Angeles. He rushed home to check on his family, so he did not have time to get his makeup removed. His Ferengi makeup "scared the living shit out of people" as he says at conventions.